I'm at my house right now. Well technically I am in the building in my backyard but that's just because I don't have a laptop right now. These are the things I'm planning on doing in the next 2 hours:
Shower
Put on my housecoat
Laundry
Eat some cheese and crackers
Sleep
I'm only here until 9am later today so I will not be at Chruch. For those who I didn't give enough time to make tonight work, I'm sorry. But to the rest of you, it was good to see you again.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Lessons to Learn
I need to learn to log off of things...It's a good thing that the person who had an opportunity to write anything on this blog is kind.
Vancouver
So I'm in Vancouver right now. I've been here since Monday. We are in the Ivanhoe. We will be here until Sunday and then we go to Chilliwack.
Tonight I walked around the downtown east side. I met some prostitutes and one guy who was pretty convinced that "they" were going to kill us. I tried to give a rose to two different women but they both were pretty scared of me. I met another guy who told me to love George Bush and that we should nuke the Muslims. My internet has been inconsistent so I'll try to tell some stories when I can. Right now I'm about to learn a game called 3 13.
I'll let you know if there is some time when you can visit me or if I'll be back in Ladner. We have some free weekends but apparently they might now be very free, so I'm not sure what the situation is right now. Hopefully I can see some of you soon.
Monday, October 13, 2008
It takes tears to build a community
I've quite enjoyed my first 29 days of Outtatown. One of my biggest worries was that most of the people on my site would be immature. Interestingly enough, there are about 6 or 7 people who are older than myself and no one ridiculous. I was worried that it would get cliquey. There are groups of friends but nothing unreasonable; actually quite good. I was also worried that people would be just in it for the fun. This one will take a little more to explain.
During one of our first sessions, Jerry our speaker had just finished telling us about himself and wanted to know a little about each of us. My understanding of the situation was to give your name, where you were from and maybe why you did Outtatown. Well the first guy asked what we were supposted to say and Jerry said, "Just tell me a little about yourself" and so he did. By the time everyone was done, we had gone over the time for that entire session. We had shared some pretty personal stuff and there was even a tear or two. I was shocked. This was our second day together.
Just recenlty we had a guy named Nathan talk to us. His big thing was idols. Without getting too much into the details he talked for a day and a half and then in our last session he got us all together in a big circle. He said he had said too much and now it was our time to talk. It was a little uncomfortable for 2 mintues, until the girl next to me spoke. About half the site shared what seemed like the most important events of their lives. I think the tissue box pasted by me five or six times. Even in the silence, it felt good.
I watched people and saw bits of their soul pour out from their mouths and eyes. It was honest and real, with 38 people in the room. It's the type of moment that defines a group.
During one of our first sessions, Jerry our speaker had just finished telling us about himself and wanted to know a little about each of us. My understanding of the situation was to give your name, where you were from and maybe why you did Outtatown. Well the first guy asked what we were supposted to say and Jerry said, "Just tell me a little about yourself" and so he did. By the time everyone was done, we had gone over the time for that entire session. We had shared some pretty personal stuff and there was even a tear or two. I was shocked. This was our second day together.
Just recenlty we had a guy named Nathan talk to us. His big thing was idols. Without getting too much into the details he talked for a day and a half and then in our last session he got us all together in a big circle. He said he had said too much and now it was our time to talk. It was a little uncomfortable for 2 mintues, until the girl next to me spoke. About half the site shared what seemed like the most important events of their lives. I think the tissue box pasted by me five or six times. Even in the silence, it felt good.
I watched people and saw bits of their soul pour out from their mouths and eyes. It was honest and real, with 38 people in the room. It's the type of moment that defines a group.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Plunging into the Urban
From Tuesday night to Friday we stayed at the Vineyard church in Winnipeg. It is located at 782 Main Street. It's the rough part of town.
Wednesday we participated in something called The Amazing Race. It was really well organized and run. We had a little baggy full of clues and a number of different tasks to accomplish. When we started I told my team that I loved winning and well, they didn't disappoint. But that's not the point of that day. We got to talk to some people who have devoted their lives. One guy runs community housing for the scum of the street. These people have to pass a screening but we're talking a step above drug dealers. The part that I found the most amazing is that he has two little kids. He told us one story about how one of the guys came home late, drunk out of his mind and his 5 year old son answered the door. We asked him about it and he said that he just trusts the Lord to keep his kids safe. That struck me pretty hard.
We also heard about this sweet pastor. Basically this guy took his neighbourhood seriously and starting bringing the battle back to the streets. He, with the help of some other guys, ran the drug and sex trade out. Basically they recorded license plates of the Johns and addresses of the drug houses and gave them to the news and posted them online. Before long, the neighbourhood turned around because this one guy brought illumiation to the dark places. I don't know but I imagine that this pastor would be getting death threats at the very least. I loved how much risk this guy was taking but more so, how simple is was to actually do something, without any violence or evil at all.
We also met another pastor who's church is in a high traffic prostitution traffic area. The parts that I remember were these two. The average age to start prostitution is 13 or 14. Most of the girls are safer on the streets being picked up by strangers than they are at home.
My favourite part of the day was when we were walking around and we started to hang out with some native kids. These guys were smoking and drinking beer and I probably would have just walked past them without saying a word but another guy from a different group started talking to them and we all started walking together. Now, there is a long story to go with this and if you want to hear it let me know but the most important part is that I become friends with the head guy. His name was Mike. Now Mike is a reasonable dude but he doesn't like his neighbourhood. He told me that he wanted to get a gun and kill some people. He was serious. He also liked to laugh and have a good time. I think the moment we bonded was when I started to lay down some sick beats for his lyrical rhythm. That's right. The white kid beatboxed while the native told it like it is. That right there, that was very good.
The other two days were spend doing service projects and while they were good, they were nothing compared to the epicness of Wednesday. Other than two amazingly awkward conversations where I got this one guys name wrong like four times, it was good. I seriously think that Wednesday October 8th, 2008 might just be one of the greatest days of my life.
Wednesday we participated in something called The Amazing Race. It was really well organized and run. We had a little baggy full of clues and a number of different tasks to accomplish. When we started I told my team that I loved winning and well, they didn't disappoint. But that's not the point of that day. We got to talk to some people who have devoted their lives. One guy runs community housing for the scum of the street. These people have to pass a screening but we're talking a step above drug dealers. The part that I found the most amazing is that he has two little kids. He told us one story about how one of the guys came home late, drunk out of his mind and his 5 year old son answered the door. We asked him about it and he said that he just trusts the Lord to keep his kids safe. That struck me pretty hard.
We also heard about this sweet pastor. Basically this guy took his neighbourhood seriously and starting bringing the battle back to the streets. He, with the help of some other guys, ran the drug and sex trade out. Basically they recorded license plates of the Johns and addresses of the drug houses and gave them to the news and posted them online. Before long, the neighbourhood turned around because this one guy brought illumiation to the dark places. I don't know but I imagine that this pastor would be getting death threats at the very least. I loved how much risk this guy was taking but more so, how simple is was to actually do something, without any violence or evil at all.
We also met another pastor who's church is in a high traffic prostitution traffic area. The parts that I remember were these two. The average age to start prostitution is 13 or 14. Most of the girls are safer on the streets being picked up by strangers than they are at home.
My favourite part of the day was when we were walking around and we started to hang out with some native kids. These guys were smoking and drinking beer and I probably would have just walked past them without saying a word but another guy from a different group started talking to them and we all started walking together. Now, there is a long story to go with this and if you want to hear it let me know but the most important part is that I become friends with the head guy. His name was Mike. Now Mike is a reasonable dude but he doesn't like his neighbourhood. He told me that he wanted to get a gun and kill some people. He was serious. He also liked to laugh and have a good time. I think the moment we bonded was when I started to lay down some sick beats for his lyrical rhythm. That's right. The white kid beatboxed while the native told it like it is. That right there, that was very good.
The other two days were spend doing service projects and while they were good, they were nothing compared to the epicness of Wednesday. Other than two amazingly awkward conversations where I got this one guys name wrong like four times, it was good. I seriously think that Wednesday October 8th, 2008 might just be one of the greatest days of my life.
Somethings you should know
Can you describe yourself in one sentence?
"I am a unusual person who has a strange habit of either talking too much or not at all"
That one works pretty well for me. You get the important parts yet it's not super personal. It alludes to deeper parts of my personality (or lack of one) but the talking part is very practical and generally the first thing people see.
I just finished "facebooking" most of the people from my Outtatown site. I check the info page to see if there was anything interesting and to see what types of quotes they put up. I think you can learn a lot about someone if you look at their quotes. You certainly can get a better picture of me if you read mine. I also looked for blogs or other ways to learn more about them. It's not that I don't believe in conversation but I think that some things are easier to write and read then speak.
So, what if you had to make a list? Could you compile some things that people need to know. If someone you trust asked you to tell them a little about yourself, what would you say? It's a strange question and an even stranger situation but one that I find myself in. I generally trust the other people in my site but we really don't know that much about each other. I want to let other people know who I am, but I'm not the type to bring it up without someone asking the question. So lets pretend that someone thinks like me, checks out my facebook page, finds this blog, and would like to ask me about myself but is either too afraid or hasn't got the opportunity to do so yet. This would be my list:
I'm an introverted person.
Understanding is my greatest ability.
I really enjoy public speaking.
I love to tell stories, and explain things and comfortable silence.
Being delusional is one of my biggest fears.
I'm really bad with groups of people I don't know.
I have a reason for everything I do.
To get me angry, tell me things you think you know about me.
I almost always love it when people ask me questions.
I'm quite an untruthfully honest person.
I believe I was born to be 45.
I'm good at adapting.
I learn by listening.
If I don't get assassinated, I'll probably be disappointed with my life.
I love winning.
I'm quite independent but I care too much what other people think.
I think that everyone loves me.
I don't like being treated unfairly.
Generally, compliments will get you nowhere.
I work like a sponge.
I'm still trying to figure out if I have a personality.
Figure out your list. I might be asking you soon.
"I am a unusual person who has a strange habit of either talking too much or not at all"
That one works pretty well for me. You get the important parts yet it's not super personal. It alludes to deeper parts of my personality (or lack of one) but the talking part is very practical and generally the first thing people see.
I just finished "facebooking" most of the people from my Outtatown site. I check the info page to see if there was anything interesting and to see what types of quotes they put up. I think you can learn a lot about someone if you look at their quotes. You certainly can get a better picture of me if you read mine. I also looked for blogs or other ways to learn more about them. It's not that I don't believe in conversation but I think that some things are easier to write and read then speak.
So, what if you had to make a list? Could you compile some things that people need to know. If someone you trust asked you to tell them a little about yourself, what would you say? It's a strange question and an even stranger situation but one that I find myself in. I generally trust the other people in my site but we really don't know that much about each other. I want to let other people know who I am, but I'm not the type to bring it up without someone asking the question. So lets pretend that someone thinks like me, checks out my facebook page, finds this blog, and would like to ask me about myself but is either too afraid or hasn't got the opportunity to do so yet. This would be my list:
I'm an introverted person.
Understanding is my greatest ability.
I really enjoy public speaking.
I love to tell stories, and explain things and comfortable silence.
Being delusional is one of my biggest fears.
I'm really bad with groups of people I don't know.
I have a reason for everything I do.
To get me angry, tell me things you think you know about me.
I almost always love it when people ask me questions.
I'm quite an untruthfully honest person.
I believe I was born to be 45.
I'm good at adapting.
I learn by listening.
If I don't get assassinated, I'll probably be disappointed with my life.
I love winning.
I'm quite independent but I care too much what other people think.
I think that everyone loves me.
I don't like being treated unfairly.
Generally, compliments will get you nowhere.
I work like a sponge.
I'm still trying to figure out if I have a personality.
Figure out your list. I might be asking you soon.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Kill Girls, Kill Girls, Kill...SO HARD
My average day looks sort of like this:
8:30am - Wake up (shower every second day)
8:45am - Breakfast
9:30am - Session 1 (5 minute break at 10:30)
I won this one
We also played Risk 2210 and we dressed up like nerds for it. Good times.
I also made a kite with some other people. We used sticks, duck tape, and a large clear garbage bag. It didn't fly, at all.
I originally wrote this post a while ago but I didn't have a picture for the risk game. I still don't have a picture but I felt like I should post this anyways. Hopefully there will be a picture eventually.
8:30am - Wake up (shower every second day)
8:45am - Breakfast
9:30am - Session 1 (5 minute break at 10:30)
11:30am - Quiet time
12:30pm - Lunch
12:30pm - Lunch
1:30pm - Session 2 (5 minute break at 2:30)
3:30pm - Free time
5:00pm - Dinner
7:00pm - Community event
9:00pm - Snack
1:30am to 4:00am - Bedtime
The rest of my time is filled with random things. There are some things that I've been doing differently though. I'm drinking a lot more water, which is giving me a lot more energy. A friend of mine told me this last year but I didn't believe him, but now I do. Usually I want to fall asleep about 16 times during a session but then I just take a drink of water and it tides me over for those next 108 seconds. I'm also eating salad at least once a day. It hasn't gotten me a girlfriend yet but I'm pretty sure most of the girls are impressed. I'm a big fan of the raspberry vinaigrette. Other than that, I'm sort of feeling the media fast I'm on but I do get to see a movie every once in a while. The Transporter was pretty disappointing.
Free time is being filled with quite a few things. We have a copy of Settlers here and I'm 2-2 so far. It's only the original but it's still lots of fun.
I won this oneWe also played Risk 2210 and we dressed up like nerds for it. Good times.
Too bad you can't see the socks tucked into my pants
I also made a kite with some other people. We used sticks, duck tape, and a large clear garbage bag. It didn't fly, at all.
The Kite Crew
I've played a lot of cribbage and some poker and rook. The evenings go late supplied by our plethora of assorted hot drinks. The talks are good. We played a game of dodge ball. It was girls verses guys. We had a cheer; it's the title.
We find out our small groups tonight. I'm pretty pumped for that. Things are going to get deeper.
I originally wrote this post a while ago but I didn't have a picture for the risk game. I still don't have a picture but I felt like I should post this anyways. Hopefully there will be a picture eventually.
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